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Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Originally Posted by @llli*ohiomama

Your plans for this weekend sound good. At this point, you've been taking the fenugreek for a month- I'd give it a break for now and ask the LC about trying something else. Not everyone responds to fenugreek and you would have noticed a difference long ago.

Hang in there, mama. I know this feels frustrating and defeating. Keep focusing on what you are doing.

But to be clear.....you really have to smell like maple syrup to be taking enough to make a difference.

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Originally Posted by @llli*ohiomama

She is taking 12 capsules a day already. And has been for awhile. 9-12caps/day is typical dosage and not recommended to go beyond that.

Right. I just didn't want her to give up unless she smells like maple syrup and it isn't working. It's true it doesn't work for everyone. But lots of times I see it not work because people aren't taking enough to smell like pancakes.

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Ellen - THANK YOU for your story. I am slowly accepting the fact that I may just have to supplement. Honestly, before I got pregnant I never even thought about BF, and then I took a mindful birthing class and it all just made sense to me. Now that I have done it for 8 (almost 9) months I am so very proud of my self and I adore my bf relationship with my daughter. BUT I dispise my pump. With that being said, i have told myself I will continue to pump 3 times a day at work and once in the evening (and as much voer each weekend as possible without disrupting enjoyment of time with my family) until she is 12 months old or I simply dont produce any more. If i must supplement a few OZ a day it certainly is NOT the end of the world because I have easily worked myself into a total anxiety ridden mess about making sure I have enough milk and I cannot do that again.

And yes, i smelled like syrup and my husband even noticed that, well, I tasted like it So there was pleanty in my system!

I am excited to pick up the pump on saturday and see what happens! I will keep you ladies updated.

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Don't think about supplementing. If you have to, oh well. But first, try this other pump. Don't simply give up and accept it. I do understand how frustrating it is...I have been EPing for almost 18 months now. It wasn't until my cycle returned that I had a lot of trouble with supply. Those hormones can sure get you.

Are your horns the right size?

ETA: you are almost close enough that if you had to, you could do one cup of milk once a day. I know what everyone says -- none until 12 months -- but IMHO, if a baby is eating solids well at 10 months, what exactly is the harm of a little milk? I did it with my last baby, and he did well. It took some of the pressure off me to pump 4 times a day instead of 6.

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

You ladies really do rock

I dont plan to supplement. BUT, I tell myself that it is NOT the end of the world if I have to and that takes some of the pressure off me and that seems to help a tiny bit!

I was supposed to go to Salt Lake City for work at the end of this month for an entire week, that had me stressed to the hilt for MONTHS because I knew I didnt have the freezer stash and the logistics of pumping at a trade show and getting the milk back home to sweet baby girl would be a nightmare. Not to mention that I am NOT ready to leave her, she will be just 9 months old and has never been away from me for the night (only had one night where I was away for bed time!). I finally told my bosses I simply could NOT do the trip and thankfully they were 100% supportive. Taking that stressor off me was the biggest relief.

Anyways, sorry, that was a bit of a side story there! I get my pump tomorrow and cant wait to get home and give it a try. I HOPE I can stay close to home this weekend and pump pump pump. My husband is home so he can entertain claire while I am hooked up! Hopefully I can start a good stash for the week

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

also a few more suggestions:

1. try a different size size horn if at all possible, I ended up needing two different sizes one size for each breast.
2. try distracting yourself while pumping, this was huge for me starting at about 8 months I had to distract myself completely from the pump, I started reading fiction, cheesy stuff, nothing serious or depressing and stay positive

Re: Please Help - getting half of what she needs

Well I picked up my medela symphony on Saturday. I pumped once on saturday and three times on Sunday (amongst nursing sessions) and I managed to eek out a grand total of 8 oz. I needed 6 of those today to put with the 6 I had pumped on Friday. So I started off today with a 2oz stash to put with what I have pumped. I have gotten two out of three pump sessions in and have a grand total of 5oz. About 5. to .75 oz more then what I had gotten at this time a day last week. So, I guess it is an improvement but not the magic I had hoped to see I will pump again before bed tonight and hopefully only need to use 1 bag of frozen tomorrow instead of two. I only have enpugh frozen to last me this week so I am not sure what to do come Monday of next week

I really have to weigh my options, I could add in a pump in the wee hours of the morning and before I get claire up for the day but I am truely in fear that my supply is tanking and that if I pump she may not have enough when she wakes up to eat. Throw on the lack of sleep and I need to see if its really worth it to me and my family, sanity wise.